1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medium storage device that stores a medium ejected from a recording apparatus that performs recording on a long sheet, for banner printing with a copier or for recording with a wide-format printer. The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus having the medium storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in a case of a recording apparatus that performs recording on a long medium (hereinafter, such a long medium is referred to merely as a medium), for banner printing with a copier or for recording with a wide-format printer, a medium to be used is large, and hence, a method of storing such a medium has to consider a manner of handling the recorded medium.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-95511 describes a method of storing a plurality of recorded media by substantially directly stacking the media in an ejected medium storage portion. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-120275 describes a method in which recorded media are hung to both sides of a wall of an ejected medium storage portion, and are stacked.
Herein, the details of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-120275 are described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. FIGS. 14 to 16 are side views of a printer with the ejected medium storage portion. In FIG. 14, a printer body 101 and a rolled medium M101 that is recorded in the printer body 101 are illustrated. The medium M101 is strongly curled downward because of core set or the like. An ejection port 101a ejects the recorded medium M101 from the printer body 101. A pedestal 102 supports the printer body 101. Casters 102a and 102b are provided below the pedestal 102. The casters 102a and 102b are in contact with a floor face, and easily move the printer body 101. An ejected medium storage portion 104 stores the medium M101 ejected from the ejection port 101a. The medium M101 ejected from the ejection port 101a is curled downward because of the core set. Due to the curl, the leading edge of the medium M101 enters the ejected medium storage portion 104, and the medium M101 is finally stored as shown in FIG. 15 so as to be folded at an upper end 104a of the ejected medium storage portion 104. The second and later media are stored similarly, and thus, a plurality of media can be stored. That is, in the method of storing the ejected medium, the leading edge of the medium is guided to the ejected medium storing portion, a part of the medium not stored in the ejected medium storing portion protrudes from a wall of the ejected medium storing portion because of a conveying force urged by a part near the trailing edge of the medium, so that the medium is hung to the outside of the ejected medium storing portion.
However, the recording apparatus of the related art has problems as follows. First, if the recorded media are substantially directly stacked in the ejected medium storing portion, a large space is necessary in front of the apparatus. Next, the ejected medium storing portion, in which the media are stacked so as to be hung on both sides of the wall of the ejected medium storing portion, may not store a medium M102 as shown in FIG. 16. The medium M102 is merely slightly curled downward because, for example, the core set is less remained, or the medium M102 has a high stiffness, and hence, the leading edge of the medium M102 does not enter the ejected medium storage portion 104. The medium M102 may fall on a floor outside the ejected medium storage portion accordingly.